Hope Brings a New Dawn
by Ems4179
Summary: Very random one-shot that sprang to life while struggling with my current Buffy story.  It starts in the Jonathan-centric episode and goes from there.  It's about Dawn in the 'Normal' world.  Really strange, I know.  Ah well.


A/N: A very random snippet that came to me this morning while thinking about Beggars Would Ride (which is currently giving me brain ache btw). I don't own anyone or anything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and make no money from this whatsoever.

Buffy was on patrol as usual. Afterwards she was intending to go and see Riley but patrol had to come first - after all, she couldn't always be relying on Jonathan to save the day!

She sighed and walked on, headed into the graveyard and was promptly attacked by a demon. She would have been fine - she might not be as strong or as quick or as agile... and definitely not as *hot* as Jonathan (who could be?) But she could definitely hold her own.

Unfortunately for the Slayer, Jonathan chose that moment to walk into the graveyard and distract the blonde woman. That moment of distraction was all it took for the demon to get in a lucky punch.

Before Buffy had even fallen to the ground in an unconscious heap, Jonathan had dispatched the demon. He looked down at the pretty blonde and sighed then lifted her carefully into his arms and carried her to safety, ignoring the flash of paparazzi cameras.

When Buffy woke, she felt a moment of fear. Why couldn't she move? The demon must have tied her up... That was okay though. She could deal with that. Having worked out the situation, she felt calmer. She fully expected to open her eyes and find herself in some dark, dingy crypt or cave.

Which was why, when she opened her eyes she could do nothing but stare around in shock. Buffy was not in a dark, dingy cave - she was in a dimly lit hospital room, strapped to the bed.

Before she could really panic though, she heard a voice that made her relax as she realised she was dreaming - must be a slayer related dream. She closed her eyes and let her father's word wash over her.

Hank sighed and held a little tighter to Buffy's hand. "Your mother would have been here today to see you Buffy but she's so far gone in the pregnancy that I didn't want her taking such a long drive. We found out yesterday that the baby is a little girl - you're going to be a Big Sister... Don't you want to come back to us so that you can meet her?"

Buffy frowned in confusion. Her Mom was pregnant? What the heck sort of Slayer dream was this? And her mother pregnant by her father at that! She would have preferred to hear it was Jonathan's baby.

Buffy opened her eyes to see her boyfriend looking at her with concern. She frowned and looked at him, still a little out of it. "Riley... Ugh my head hurts... I had the strangest dream... Mom was pregnant..." She shook her head and sat up, more than a little shaky. "What happened..?"

Riley smiled and looked at her. "Attacked by a demon - lucky that Jonathan was there. He killed it then carried you here to me."

Buffy groaned and stood up, letting her boyfriend support her as she did so. "Is he still here? I really need to talk to him... He's actually the reason I got so distracted. Is sheer good looks are sometimes just too much, you know?"

Riley nodded. "I know what you mean - I'm actually a little surprised the demon attacked you with Jonathan there. Shoulda ran when he had the chance. Come on - we'll go see him. You still need help with a few moves?"

Buffy nodded hurriedly. "Uh huh." That was it - nothing at all to do with wanting to bathe in his sunshine-like presence, no sirry! She let Riley half-carry her to Jonathan, strange dream forgotten.

The Doctor looked at Hank, a serious expression on his face. "I really am sorry, Mr Summers - the nurse who passed that information on to you has been seriously reprimanded." He sighed heavily and looked down at the papers in front of him rather than meeting the other man's disappointed gaze.

"The fact of the matter is that yes, your daughter *did* stir enough to speak but that's it. She is no more lucid than she has been. I'm afraid she is just too far gone." He shrugged helplessly.

"Perhaps in time a medical advancement will occur; some breakthrough that will allow us to reach Buffy at long last but unfortunately until then, we are reliant on her bringing herself out."

He sighed and looked down at his notes. Times like this he hated his job - the girl had shown so much promise until something just gave in her mind.

Hank sighed heavily and rubbed his tired eyes. "Well, what *did* she say?"

The doctor looked up, a confused expression on his face, he had to force his thoughts back to the present. "Oh. Sorry." He looked down at his notes, scanning through them until he found what he was looking for: "Ah yes... Something about a Key... The Key is Dawn... Her sister? She appears to have added another character to the Sunnydale cast mentioned in her journals."

Hank shook his head, suddenly looking optimistic. "Doctor, the last time I was here, I told her that Joyce was pregnant with a little sister..."

The doctor considered it but shook his head. "It's would be nice to have that hope but I'm sorry, Mr Summers - in the state that Buffy is in, she couldn't possibly have heard you." He did indeed look sorry. "It can only be an unfortunate coincidence."

The glimmer of hope in Hank's eyes died then and he sighed tiredly as he stood up. "Alright doctor, thank you for your time." He shook hands then left the office, the weight of the world on his shoulders as he realised he would have to tell his wife that the phone call they received earlier which gave them hope was wrong.

Joyce listened to Hank but just gave him that determined look he loved so much when it meant that she was prepared to do whatever it took to help or protect their family. 'I don't care what he said, Hank - I know that Buffy heard you, I just *know* it and that means there is hope."

"I've decided on a name for our daughter - I want to call her Dawn." She gave him an even more serious look. "No arguments."

Hank thought about arguing but really, why not? If it could bring their daughter back, it would be worth it. He nodded and wrapped his arms around his wife. "Dawn Summers... I like it." He smiled and reached down, placing a hand on the prominent bump that housed their soon-to-be-born daughter.

As Buffy stared at the vortex created by Doc in Glory's absence, a feeling of peace stole over her. She knew what she had to do. She was a big sister and would do whatever it took to keep her baby sister safe - even if that meant leaving Sunnydale far behind.

The Slayer paused only briefly to talk to Dawn, trying to offer her comfort. "Dawn listen to me..."

Then she ran...

The doctor smiled as he rang Joyce and Hank Summers - moments like this made him love his job!

"Mrs Summers, I have some good news. Your daughter awoke from her catatonia this morning. She is asking to see you and Mr Summers... And her sister Dawn."


End file.
